1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to self-adherent medical implants and packaging for such implants. Methods of preparing self-adherent implants are also disclosed.
2. Background of Related Art
Currently methods for securing medical implants, e.g., surgical meshes, to tissue include the use of a variety of fasteners (such as tacks or staples) alone or in combination with adhesives.
To work properly fasteners may need to be driven into specific areas of the implant as well as specific areas of the target tissue. As a result, the application of fasteners typically requires the use of graspers or other equipment to manipulate the implants and ensure that the fastener is properly positioned relative to both the implant and the target tissue. Such manipulations, while necessary with conventional fasteners, may undesirably increase the duration of the surgical procedure. In addition, the fasteners support the implants only at the point of penetration and do not distribute the load across the entire surface of the implant.
Known methods of using adhesives to secure medical implants to target tissue normally require the implants to be contacted with the adhesive immediately prior to implantation, during the surgery. As a result, the surgeon normally handles implants coated with adhesive materials. These adhesive materials may interact with any surface with which the implant comes into contact, e.g., medical instruments, a surgeon's hands or gloves, tissue other than the intended target tissue, etc.
It would be advantageous to provide implants that do not require the use of a fastening device, and that reduce the likelihood that the adhesive-bearing implant will prematurely adhere to unintended surfaces the implant may encounter prior to implantation.